Nutter Wants Power to Appoint PHA Board Members

Mayor Nutter travels to Harrisburg today to testify on reforming the troubled Philadelphia Housing Authority. Nutter’s prescription: give the mayor power to appoint all the board members.

Mayor Nutter will testify before the state House Urban Affairs Committee at a hearing prompted by the controversies surrounding — and dismissal of — PHA director Carl Greene. Nutter will tell the lawmakers that the PHA is broken:

“The governance structure of the Philadelphia Housing Authority is antiquated, does not work, provides virtually no accountability to anyone for any of the activities of the management or the board.”

Nutter will urge the lawmakers to reform the PHA, including giving the mayor of the city the ability to appoint all five board members. Currently just two of five are chosen by the mayor. The current chairman, John Street, appointed himself just before his last term as mayor ended.